Penelope 'viper' flux arrives

"I'm going to need more details." I say into the comms device while aiming down my sight towards the hallway in front of me. I imagine the guards are going to show up any time soon and if Mainframe's right then so is the 'viper'. I'm fairly certain we're screwed if that happens.

"They have been preparing to welcome a guest. That guest is Penelope 'Viper' Flux. She is currently stepping out of a limousine in front of the branch compound. Dede report that she is currently making her way towards the building. They have a clear shot but 'would rather not take it'". Explains Mainframe dryly in her same robotic voice without inflection.

"Is she going to be here in time to meet us?" I ask sarcastically. In other words can we just ignore her because she couldn't make it on time. There' s also a slight implication of asking how much time it will take us to finish but I'm not sure an android will pick up on that part.

"Unknown. Estimated time until download completion: 15 minutes. Calculations presume that she will arrive at your location before that time but it is an estimation." Replies Mainframe cooly and analytically. In other words she's going to be a problem.

Just as I sigh at the reality of the situation Marianne calls out to me "Footsteps. 4 people. Around the corner" Her information is transmitted efficiently and without any excess. I don't have time to worry about the viper right now.

I aim my weapon towards the end of the hallway and wait for our new guests keeping my breathing steady and calm. I wait for several seconds until I too hear their footsteps if only the faintly. The clicks of their shoes only barely reach my ears. I ready my finger on the trigger.

The moment I spot the camouflaged black uniform I shoot. My laser drilling towards its target at the speed of light. Then it reaches it's destination. Instead of the sizzling sound I was expecting however… "Ping!" I hear a sound of deflection as the laser bounces harmlessly off a wall of translucent white hexagons.

"Another shield Tsk." I mutter to myself before pressing the trigger again and again. I watch the bullets fly to their intended target. They directly impact the shield and none of them do anything more. More ping sounds echo off the halls walls as the lasers are deflected by the hexagons.

The man behind the shield appears to notice my shots. He decides however that now is not the time to back out. He increases the speed of his charge and I see his face as it comes around the corner. I don't have time to pay attention however. Instead I simply continue to shoot.

Each ping that I can hear makes the shield weaker and weaker. The hexagons become more and more transparent as time goes on and the man becomes more and more anxious but he continues to run towards me. Behind him I can even see the next one peeking around the corner as well. Luckily I'm not the only one shooting.

Several pings ring out in succession this time from Marianne shooting the one around the corner. I also continue shooting the man in the front until finally. I hear a sound like shattering glass. The moment I do the man's expression breaks out into panic but I don't care. I simply shoot once more and finally I hear the sound I wanted.

The smell of burnt meat and the sound of sizzling flesh is like the ringing of a bell to my ears. The man running towards me collapses. A hole now opened in the area his heart once was. I don't admire the corpse however and simply move on to the next target.

Do I help out with Marianne's prey? I ask myself and look over at him. Marianne is still pelting the man with laser fire. Behind him is another one coming around the corner. I don't have time to ponder. Shooting as many shots as I can at the man coming around the corner the previous process repeats itself and eventually the shattering of the shield and sizzling of the guard rings once again.

Marianne also appeared to take down her own and I looked towards the corner but couldn't see anyone else. I breathe a sigh of relief but Marianne cautions me. "I hear running. He's getting away."

"Does it really matter that one got away? We have bigger things to worry about." I reply irritably thinking about the news Mainframe gave us earlier. We've got to hold this area for 15 minutes and we're likely to encounter the viper during that time.

"We were told no witnesses." Marianne argues back but falls silent a moment after before saying.

"It appears he's coming back with friends so we might not have to worry." Marianne says sounding relieved. You might be happy with this development but I'm certainly not. Sure we have to take out all the witnesses but that's just impossible on a mission like this so it was probably more of a suggestion than an order.

Regardless the man appeared to be coming back with friends and I watched down the sights of my weapon at the end of the hallway waiting for this guard to show up. Yet after waiting for an amount of time that seemed stretched because of the tension but was nonetheless fairly long, he still didn't show up.

Confused I asked Marianne while not taking my eyes off of the hallway. "Hey is he here yet. I'm pretty sure he's supposed to show up by now right?" My question is met with silence for a few moments as if Marianne isn't sure of her own answer before she replies.

"He's waiting at the corner. He appears to be doing… nothing." She says with some confusion lacing her tone. So he's just waiting around the corner for us. That's just great. He clearly wants to buy time for something too then. What I'm not sure but it's pretty clear he wants to stall for something.

We don't mind though because we need to wait for something as well. Though he could be waiting for the viper to arrive which could be an issue. He also could be a coward but I doubt it. Another option is… I continue to think up reasons for why he would be waiting around the corner as I keep myself coiled and ready for combat at any moment.

We continued to watch the corridor vigilantly waiting for the move they were going to make. Nothing happened for quite some time and we were just standing off with each other for quite some time. Well that was what I thought until Marianne told me the real reason he was just sitting there.

"He has gathered more allies. I hear 12 sets of footsteps now and another 3 down the hallway." She informs me diligently. Being the beast-kin with all their great senses must be nice. Actually knowing what's going on.

While I'm still pondering Marianne's report one comes in from Mainframe. "10 minutes remaining. I will keep you informed of the download's progress in this manner every 5 minutes. Then at 2 minutes, 1 minute and at 30 seconds I shall start a countdown." Explains Mainframe.

Ok good so I get to know how close we are to finishing this that's good at least. Gives me something to look forward to. Unfortunately my immediate future seems somewhat bleak. "Another 3 down the hallway and they've started moving." Says Marianne sharply readying herself for combat.

With a sigh I follow her lead and ready my weapon. If they all have personal shields we could be in some real trouble here. Looking down my sights at the hallway's end I spot the beginnings of a black uniform appearing from around the corner. I immediately pull the trigger on my laser and as I thought another ping is all I get in return.

I continue to fire on the new shield bearers that are at the front of the pack but this time they are all far more co-ordinated than the first group was. The people with shields appear tobe taking the front line and the row of four of them is wide enough to block the hallway. They all emerged at practically the same time meaning that we were unable to take out one of them before the other got into position.

This also means that the guards behind the first four also likely had personal shields and the front line were just meat shields really while the second line was the one that they wanted to get close to us. I continued to fire at them focusing my fire on a single individual in the line of four.

I also shouted at Marianne. "Focus on the one on the right." and she complied. So we both focussed fire on one of them and his shield shattered far faster than the ones we broke on our own previously. However they appeared ready for this turn of events. The man who's shield was broken simply stepped backwards.

That's all he did and yet someone with a completely new shield took his place as though nothing happened. This allowed the man to stay safe behind the cover of that shield and escape death. We now understood that the front liners weren't expendable meat shields they were just replaceable.

Meaning that we had no means of breaking this line of defence unless we took out 14 or more of them. Assuming they all have personal shields I suppose but judging by that display I have to assume they do or they wouldn't pull this stunt.

I grit my teeth and try to think. Clearly we won't be able to get rid of any of them at this rate. No matter how many shields we break it doesn't really matter because we have personal shields of our own. Meaning that this will come down to a hand to hand fight in the end anyway.

It's all about how many we can take out before that and they have clearly figured out the same. That's why they're swapping people out and making sure to have those with full personal shields in the front line. They were now only a few metres away from us and it would be a serious problem if we had to fight 18 vs 2.

Marianne might be able to handle a few more than me but I still don't think she could take 14 all on her own and I know for a fact I could handle four and no more than that. Considering I'm injured that might actually be a bit generous if I'm honest.

Continuing to focus on the right flank I try to take out as many shields as possible while I think. Is there anything we can use to block the hallway. We could stretch our shields over the hallway but that would break rather quickly and then we'd be even more screwed. Our personal shields mean a lot more to us because being outgunned in a fist fight is a lot easier to deal with than being outgunned in a firefight.

Then I realise I'm an idiot. Right being outgunned is bad if we outgun them then it's totally fine. I take out my suit from my belt and start the process of putting it on. Not the stealth suit though. That's a good suit yes but it's not built for combat. I use the suit that I was experimenting with before I came on this mission.

It covers my body in a red and black storm of what look like insects of some kind. In reality it's just the nano machines working together to reconstitute the suit from the base parts that it's stored as given how compact that storage is. Once the suit is fully assembled I check all of it's functions and spot a nifty feature.

I fire the laser I was using when I was called in to this mission and immediately the hallway starts to melt around them. It actually manages to shatter a number of their personal shields and now even if I didn't have the suit I'd be able to take enough of them out in time to get a good hit or two in.

Seeing their predicament they fall into a panic. They realise that it won't be possible to continue with that strategy any more and they try to think of a means to continue advancing regardless. I of course don't give them the time. I fire off the laser again and the remaining shields are shattered to pieces.

It even manages to damage some of those without the shields. They had apparently not managed to move out of the way in time. I see singed parts of their skin as it came into contact with the edge of the laser. I continue to fire said laser but they quickly wizened up to my tricks.

They quickly scatter in all directions and run back around the corner. I managed to take out around half of them with that stunt. Problem is this suit only has so much battery. Meaning that I just used a good chunk of that battery on non-aerial combatants. If someone comes with a suit of their own now I'm screwed.

I'm also screwed if Lumi fails to get us out of their airspace because our combat suits are our lifeline in a situation like that and mine wouldn't have the battery any more to break through a fleet. The laser takes up a tad too much energy really but it's effect is definitely worth the expense.

I quickly de-activate the suit hoping to save some of that battery for later. The swarm of nano bots gets to work disassembling the suit and in a few moments the whole thing is in my belt once more. In front of me is a number of corpses and a mostly molten hallway.

There's also a number of guards waiting around the corner and a man walking towards them. One I recognise.

The man coming around the corner has an expressionless mask plastered on what could be considered a baby face. His skin looks smooth and supple as though he hadn't aged a day since his teen years. Despite this his missing expression and masculine jawline tell me that he has in fact grown since the last time I saw him.

An image overlaps with the man's face. One of a young boy by the name of Jamie Felizar. A fellow member of the orphanage that myself and Sophie used to try and help all the time. Despite the overlap however their personalities seem almost polar opposites.

The boy in my memory was quiet, timid even reclusive. He would never actively engage others in conversation, never face his own problems and ultimately he would usually end up sitting in a corner somewhere. Yet the man in front of me projects the exact opposite image.

Someone who has chosen to confront their fears head on and has emerged from the other side no worse for wear. He seems like he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and we are simply obstacles in his way. It's the complete opposite of the young boy I used to know.

His physique has also changed significantly. The boy was trained just as much as I was though in a different field. Yet he never managed to gain muscle. His belly would always be soft and flabby. He wasn't fat per se but he had the baby fat that you would expect from a young child and he seemed almost incapable of building muscle.

The man in front of me on the other hand is most certainly capable of gaining muscle. In fact the black suit and white T-shirt he's wearing appears to be straining itself to hold in the impressive might of the being beneath them. Even I can see his arms, torso and even his legs straining against the fabric of his suit.

He's a little short for his age given that he has to be around our age now and he's only just above 5 foot tall but with his stocky build he resembles a dwarf more than a child at this point. His black professional looking trousers with a pair of similarly black leather shoes make him feel more grown up than perhaps he is yet I can still only barely make the connection with the boy I once knew.

His shirt is tucked into his trousers, his collar is standing straight up as though it's a soldier on duty and his entire body looks tense and ready for combat. Yet the grieving and caring look in his amethyst eyes and the gentle sway of his dark brown almost black hair gives me a strange feeling of nostalgia.

"Jamie…" I say with half nostalgia half regret as I watch him walk towards the hallway where we gunned down the men from before. I know I shouldn't be sentimental like this but I can't help it. I really don't want to hurt anyone from the orphanage. That was one of my codes wasn't it?

"Hello again Amelie. My apologies." Replies Jamie with his high pitch and child-like tone. I can almost hear the plea to leave in his voice and yet it almost seems as though the message is covered up as though it's being smothered by a number of blankets.

I can already guess what that apology is for judging by the fact that a number of translucent white hexagons appeared around Jamie's body and he's reaching towards his waist while walking towards the hallway.

"You know this man?" Asks Marianne through the comms instead of shouting it for Jamie to hear.

"Yes. Emily did mention we'd have to fight him if things came to that but…" I reply choking back my emotions and readying myself to fire upon my old friend. In front of us I can see that old friend ordering his troops in front of him without hesitation and telling them to eliminate the intruders.

Unlike when he spoke to me, his orders are cold and without emotion. There's nothing behind them. He's simply a doll. A machine that works for the sake of Flux. That's all I need to think of him as. He's just a doll.

Repeating that to myself in my mind I aim my laser towards the soldiers in front of me, the stability of my weapon significantly more difficult to maintain with my trembling hands. I look down the sights and see a number of soldiers with personal shields lining up in front of Jamie.

Then I try to calm my mind by taking a deep breath. I don't get to finish it however as Mainframe's voice runs through the comms. "5 minutes remaining. Estimated arrival of the viper approximately 3 minutes" Her voice is as emotionless as ever and yet it manages to calm me down.

Having a constant like that on a job can have a rather calming effect on people. Someone who doesn't get flustered no matter the change in situation and Mainframe is that pillar for me despite knowing nothing about her. Now that I think about it that's somewhat strange.

I stop my wandering thoughts and focus on the task at hand. My now no longer trembling weapon is aimed at the first soldier to tread into the hallway. The moment I see the shot I take it. Another ping. I take the shot again. Another ping. The deflections continue as I continue to take my shots. My efficiency is mechanical. One shot, one deflection.

Always the same spot. Shot. Deflect. Shot deflect. Eventually the loop ends. Not with a bang perhaps but… The shattering of the shield reaches my ears and before they can even think to escape I shoot again. This time I aim for the area they switch places. Sure enough he takes a step backwards and walks straight into a light bullet to the head.

The guard doesn't even know what happened as he fall to the floor with the sound of sizzling meat emanating from the dead centre of his forehead. Marianne appeared to have figured out the trick as well because I can see another collapse on the other side of the hallway from the one I took out and though their replacements step up they are significantly less confident.

The anxiety plain as day on their faces as they take their nervous steps forward. Jamie's expression however doesn't move an inch. Even seeing his own men murdered before him by old friends he doesn't feel anything. You can see it in everywhere but the eyes. The eyes still look the same. Like the poor boy is trapped in his own body.

We continue to fire as they run towards us. They keep their steps in sync every step of the way. Despite their anxiousness from seeing their comrades perish they are still well trained. Even if all of them fell they would still make it to their destination. To us.

We take out a number of them in a similar manner before they reach us. Now only 7 of them managed to reach us including Jamie. They finally make the step out of the corridor and now they're in the same room as we are.

I could shoot them from here but frankly it wouldn't do very much. I'm not sure I have the time to break even one more shield. In which case initiative is more important. Thinking such, I put my laser back in my belt and take out the knife Mainframe gave me before jumping over the counter I was hiding behind and having my shield cover me as I do.

Marianne however was faster. She vaulted her counter in less than the time it took for me to make my decision. She sprinted quickly towards her prey with a fierce smile. She was heading straight into the middle of the seven of them. Straight for Jamie. I feel a pang in my heart at this realization for some reason but I decide that I have more important matters to think about right now.

I run behind Marianne not nearly as fast thanks to my lacking physique and injuries but I do still manage to make a decent pace by most standards. Marianne however is not most people and before I'm even halfway across the room she barrels straight into Jamie. Her fist heads straight for his face without hesitation.

I watch holding my breath as the fist approaches Jamie's face. Jamie however coolly directs the power of Marianne's punch to just beside his face. Expecting Marianne to stumble he attempts to take Marianne's legs out from under her.

Marianne isn't going down like that though and her knee is already brought up to his stomach. Jamie coughs for a moment from the powerful blow to the stomach. He attempts to right his posture before Marianne can capitalise. She is however far faster.

She immediately takes his left arm, hanging limply by his side. She then throws him by that arm into the rest of his troops on the left side of the room. They appear to resemble dominoes as they crash into each other from the weight of their leader. Marianne giving chase to them once they'd fallen over.

Marianne had apparently decided she was going to take the left side of the room and I was to do the opposite. That left Marianne with four opponents including Jamie and I with three. Though looking at Marianne she didn't seem to be struggling at all.

One of the guards threw a left hook at Marianne's face. Before it could connect, she effortlessly plucked it out of the air. The man looked stunned for a moment and that was all the time Marianne needed. She quickly kicked his knee and bent it in the wrong direction. Then she elbowed the man in the face. He proceeded to crumple to the floor.

Yeah she seems fine enough. I thought with a wry smile as I saw her taking out the other guards in a similar fashion. Though Jamie appears to be holding himself well enough. Turning back to my own opponents I saw the three in front of me readying themselves to sprint off to help their friends.

I was a little annoyed they thought they could ignore me. So I swung my knife towards the man's throat. He dodged with a tilt of his neck but his attention was with me. Another saw this as their time to escape and attempted to run past. So I kicked out towards his shins.

He attempted to jump over my attack but I was not that easily fooled and simply lifting my leg up higher. This tripped the man over and he fell onto the floor. I knew he was not out but he wouldn't be a problem for a moment. I needed that moment because of the third man.

He was far more aggressive than his counterparts. Throwing a kick straight at my temple without any warning whatsoever. I dodged backwards with ease similar to the man avoiding my knife. He appeared to not expect this as it left him off balance. This was my chance.

I swept towards his legs. He appeared to notice the incoming attack but could do nothing but watch. His teammates attempted to help. They were however quite late as the man toppled backwards. They did reach me eventually however.

Now there was a fist rocketing towards my face a lot faster than previously. Realizing the speed and danger I quickly ducked out of the way. I didn't have the time to counter attack but I did have the time to notice the kick aimed now at my chest.

Quickly rolling over the incoming leg the moment I was back on my feet I turned on my heel and pushed. It didn't have to be powerful. This was enough for the man to topple over. He actually managed to land on the man who's legs I swept out. This caused him to be far less of a threat.

Turning my attention to the last man standing I was surprised to find another attack heading my way. I couldn't even see much of it. I instinctively knew I had to turn my head to the side. I attempted to do so and managed it passably. However I still felt an impact on my face like none before.

I staggered backwards head spinning and mind reeling. Why was this man so fast? Why isn't he just a mob character or something? No I don't have time to complain. Dodging under the leg strike aimed at my face I struck out with a punch of my own. It only landed on empty air but it was enough to buy time.

My mind was quickly clearing. While quick the strike to my face wasn't in the right place to do serious damage. Still he was a threat and I knew it. He had to be eliminated. The other two will be far easier. Thinking as such I turned my full attention to his movements.

A good thing I did as he threw a swift jab to my torso. Deciding to return in kind I threw a jab to his cheek bone. I endured the sharp pain radiating from my stomach and saw the man stumble backwards.

I followed quickly knife in hand and brought it down on his shoulder with the most natural movement possible. He instinctively threw up an arm. It didn't help much. I could feel the knife bite into his arm like a ravenous beast and the smell of burnt meat immediately assaulted my nose.

Knowing I was on the right track I attempted to swing my knife again but found I couldn't remove it from the man's arm. I thought I saw a smirk cross his face. It was so brief I may have been imagining things. He certainly deserved it however as a kick to my torso was enough to send me backwards and let go of the knife still stuck in his arm.

We once again locked eyes ready for any attack the other might make. Given that I was in a stand off I took a quick glance at how things were going for Marianne.